GPS Portable Devices

GPS Portable Devices

2007 GPS Portable Devices

Introduction

Engineering is one study that experiences a significant growth at a breakneck speed . At least , there are four major engineering fields that continue spawning new inventions that make life much better they are mechanical , material , biotechnology , and electronics engineering

Concerning electronic industry , we witness that consumer electronics goods become the fastest growing segment in the industry due to vast number of customers and market opportunity . The most interesting factor that occurs in consumer electronic goods is the portability of electronic equipments

thanks to surface mount technology that make the miniaturization happens

About two decades ago , Sony Walkman becomes the popular electronic devices due to their portability features . Immediately afterwards portable products are not limited to audiocassette player but also any other functionality such as mini computer like personal digital assistants (PDAs , digital audio players like the famous iPod , mobile phones , and gadgets that combine those features

Concerning the portable products , this will discuss about portable GPS (global positioning system ) in which the use of GPS-enabled products has been commercialized in electronics industry . The discussion include pioneer of portable GPS products , commercialization , recent uses of GPS-based devices , and lso milestones in GPS technology

History of Portable GPS

Historically , GPS that stands for global positioning system was innovated by the U .S . Department of Defense (D .O .D ) under the auspices of Ivan Getting , a Ph .D . in Astrophysics . The first GPS for U .S . D .O .D was built at the cost of 12 billion dollars , which originally used for satellite-based navigational system in to help U .S . military forces in navigating land and sea . In to provide extensive services , D .O .D set up eighteen satellites in which the three orbital which placed 1200 apart , has six satellites (About , 2007

By providing extensive constellation of satellite , GPS-enabled devices can ask their reference points (satellite ) in the space to provide information regarding geographical positions (e .g . longitude , latitude and altitude , accurate height up to the matter of meter . The most advanced product can provide up to centimeter range (National Park Service , 2007 . Figure 1 shows GPS devices that uses for navigation purpose only . Such devices are common placed in ships , boats construction companies , planes

Figure 1 Garmin GPSmap 60 C

Source : About , 2007 Currently , the use of GPS becomes value added or features of a product in which GPS-enabled product is integrated with other devices such as cars to direct drivers to intended destinations , mobile phones with appropriate software to inform the nearest gas stations or restaurants and also laptop computers (Figure 2

The development of GPS-enabled products continues speeding up due to the invention of most precise timepieces , the atomic clocks , which can provide accurate time in the billionth of a second range . According to National Park Service (2007 , the fast development of GPS-based services has provided more than 100 ,000 new jobs (b Figure 2 Recent GPS-enabled products (a ) Mobile phone (b ) Wristwatch

Bright 's Model of Innovation...